IPL 2021: When was the last time CSK played without Suresh Raina
Ahead of their clash against the Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni revealed that Suresh Raina will not take to the field for the side today.
This is the 29th time that CSK are playing without Suresh Raina in their playing XI. At the toss, MS Dhoni mentioned that Suresh Raina had a knee injury and will be replaced by Robin Uthappa, who will be making his debut in CSK colours. MS Dhoni said:
"We were looking to bat first but we were not 100 percent sure since it seems a bit tacky. Quite a few changes - Sam Curran goes out for Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar comes back in for KM Asif and Suresh Raina has a bad left knee so Robin Uthappa comes in."
The last time CSK played without Suresh Raina was their closing game of the 2020 season against Kings XI Punjab. CSK missed the services of Suresh Raina for the entirety of IPL 2020 due to personal reasons.
Suresh Raina has been a prolific run-scorer for the Chennai-based franchise. Nicknamed Chinna Thala, Raina has been a mainstay in CSK's batting lineup, playing a crucial role in their three title wins.
CSK's Suresh Raina has had a poor IPL 2021 season
Suresh Raina hasn't enjoyed a good run with the bat in IPL 2021. The iconic southpaw had played 12 matches before missing the clash today and scored 160 runs at an average of 17.77. Raina has scored only one fifty so far in the tournament and it came against Delhi Capitals in CSK's first game of the season.
With Moeen Ali acquiring the No. 3 position in the CSK batting lineup and Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad firing on all cylinders, CSK will have all bases covered and should not miss the services of Chinna Thala.